Life
His father was a cellist. He taught him fiddle, viola da gamba, recorder, and later cello from 1951. In 1952 he got piano lessons. In 1959 he began to study jazz intensively, took saxophone lessons and wanted to become a jazz musician. In 1962 he left school and took an apprenticeship as a typesetter. During this time he took private composition lessons with Konrad Lechner. After finishing his apprenticeship he continued his studies with Lechner at the Akademie für Tonkunst in Darmstadt. In 1968 he became a teacher at the Stuttgart Music School for piano, theory, early musical education and experimental music. From 1973 to 1977 he studied composition withPrizes and awards
* 2014: GroßerWork
Orchestra
* 1975 ''morendo'' - for orchestra * 1981 '' (strange?)'' - for five jazz soloists and orchestra * 1986 ''inter-mezzo'', concertato non concertabile tra pianoforte e orchestra * 1988-1990 ''passage / paysage'' - for orchestra * 1993 ''und als wir'' - for 54 strings * 1997-1998 ''akt, eine treppe herabsteigend'' (act, descending a staircase) - for bass clarinet, trombone and orchestra (afterChamber music
* 1969 five movements - for two pianos * 1970 ''szenen für kinder'' (scenes for children) - for groups of children * 1972 ''phonophobie'' - for flute, oboe, clarinet, horn and bassoon * 1975 four pieces - for voice, clarinet, violin, cello and piano * 1976 ''128 erfüllte Augenblicke'' (128 fulfilled moments), systematically arranged, to be played variably - for soprano, clarinet and cello * 1977 ''éphémère'' - for percussion, veritable instruments and piano * 1979-1980 ''extension'' - for violin and piano * 1981 ''aussageverweigerung / gegendarstellung'' (refusal to testify/contradictory presentation) - two contra-contexts for double quartets * 1982 ''ἀπò δῶ'' (over here) - for string quartet * 1982-1983 ''adieu m'amour'' (farwell, my love), hommage à Guillaume Dufay - for violin and violoncello * 1983 ''musica impura'' (impure music) - for soprano, guitar and percussion * 1991 ''furioso'' - for 14 players with 23 instruments * 1992-1993 ''presentimientos'', variations for string trio * 1993, revised 2011 ''off'' - for six snare drums * 1995 ''gegen unendlich'' (to infinity) - for bass clarinet, trombone, cello and piano * 1995 ''Über den frühen Tod Fräuleins Anna Augusta Marggräfin zu Baden'' (On the Untimely Death of Miss Anna Augusta, Marchioness of Baden) - for five male voices, five trombones, three female voices, oboe, clarinet and trumpet * 2000 ''verlorener weg'' (lost way) version 1 and 2 - for ensemble * 2002 ''einräumung'', #3 of ''konzepte und varianten'' (concepts and variants), three simultaneous solos for violin, viola and cello * 2003 ''pnw'', #4 of ''konzepte und varianten'' (concepts and variants) - for eight cellos and five double basses * 1997-2005 ''farben der frühe'' (colors of dawn) - for seven pianos * 2006 ''fugitive beauté'' (fleeting beauty)- for oboe, alto flute and violin, bass clarinet, viola and cello * 2010 ''ausgang'' (exit), #1 of ''konzepte und varianten'' (concepts and variants) - for ensemble * 2010 ''rundweg'' (round way), #2 of ''konzepte und varianten'' (concepts and variants) - for recorder, violin and cello * 2012 ''entfernte ergänzung'' (removed addition) - for four (also three or two) guitars * 2014 ''nachtstück mit sonne'' (nocturne with sun), #7 of ''asamisimasa-zyklus'' - for ten-string guitar solo with clarinet, percussion, piano and cello * 2015 ''still/moving'', #8 of ''asamisimasa-zyklus'' - for clarinet and cello * 2015 ''kuboå'', #n of ''asamisimasa-zyklus'' - for voice, clarinet, percussion, guitar, piano and cello * 2016 ''faux faux faux bourdon'', #2 of ''asamisimasa-zyklus'' - for bass clarinet solo with percussion, guitar, piano and cello * 2017 ''flashback (mit rückschaufehlern)'', #3 of ''asamisimasa-zyklus'' - for a vibraphone player (two vibraphones tuned a quarter-tone apart), a guitarist (quarter-tone electric guitar) and a pianist (piano and keyboard, tuned a quarter-tone apart) * 2018 ''difference négligeable'', #1 of ''asamisimasa-zyklus'' - for cello and guitar * 2018 ''double'', #6 of ''asamisimasa-zyklus'' - for clarinet, drums, guitar, piano and cello * 2019 ''un-umkehr'', #4 of ''asamisimasa-zyklus'' - for clarinet, drums, guitar, piano and cello * 2019 ''don’t kill me, i am beautiful'', #9 of ''asamisimasa-zyklus'' - for bass clarinet, small drum, piano and cello * 2019 ''nahe null'', #10 of ''asamisimasa-zyklus'' - for clarinet, drums, guitar, piano and celloVocal work
* 1969 ''drama'' – for twelve voices * 1974 ''sotto voce'' – for vocalists * 1979–1980 ''el sonido silencioso'' (the silent sound), funeral music forSolo instrument
* 1974 ''entlöschend'' (non extinguishing) – for large tam-tam * 1992 ''nah, getrennt'' – for alto recorder solo * 2013 ''ausnahmslos ausnahmen'' - for drumset * 2017 ''doppelt und dreifach determiniert'', #5 of ''asamisimasa-zyklus'' - for a drummer with five tom-toms * 2018 ''k141'', #11 of ''asamisimasa-zyklus'' - for pianoTape
* 1974 ''wozu noch musik?'' (why still music?), aesthetic theory in quasi-aesthetic form (collage) – radio play * 1975 ''störung'' - electronic musicMusic theater
* 1970 ''fürsich'' - for an actress or an actor * 1980 ''pablo picasso: wie man wünsche beim schwanz packt'' (Transcription
* 1977 ''alban berg: sonate für klavier op. 1'' - transcription for orchestraPublications
chronological * ''der widersinn von Gesang. zu theodor w. adornos liedkomposition'', in '' MusikTexte'' 1, Februar 1983, 37–39. * ''das starre – erzittert. zu nicolaus a. hubers 6 Bagatellen'', ''MusikTexte'' 2, December 1983, 15–18. * ''offener brief. an die teilnehmer des symposiums „Theodor W. Adorno – der Philosoph als Komponist“'', in ''MusikTexte'' 26, October 1988, 59–60. * ''gegen die postmoderne mode. zwölf charakteristika der musik des zwanzigsten jahrhunderts'', in ''MusikTexte'' 7, January 1989, 2–7. * ''wirklichkeit des bewußtseins und wirklichkeit für das bewußtsein. politische aspekte der musik'', in ''MusikTexte'' 39, April 1991, 39–41. * ''offener brief. die donaueschinger musiktage und der öffentlich-rechtliche rundfunk'', in ''MusikTexte'' 65, July–August 1996, 72–74. * ''easy to love mfrage zum Irakkrieg', ''MusikTexte'' 97, May 2003, 16–17. * ''für gisela und reinhard. zwei jubiläen: 110 Jahre NM, 100 hefte MT'', in ''MusikTexte'' 100, February 2004, 33. * ''Bewegliche Reaktion auf das, was uns täglich umgibt. Nicolaus A. Hubers „Sphärenmusik“ für Orchester'', in ''MusikTexte'' 108, February 2006, 61–65. * ''dies ist die zeit der konzeptiven ideologen nicht mehr'', in ''MusikTexte'' 113, May 2007, 35–43. * ''Offener Brief. An Olivier Membrez, Association Usinesonor, Malleray-Bévilard, Schweiz'', in: ''MusikTexte'' 132, February 2012, 85–86. * ''mein freund reinhard'', in ''MusikTexte'' 141, May 2014, 5. * ''for musicians only?'', in ''MusikTexte'' 142, August 2014, 14. * ''thesen zu schwindel der wirklichkeit'', in ''MusikTexte'' 142, August 2014, 15. * ''politische implikationen des materials der neuen musik'', in ''MusikTexte'' 151, November 2016, 57–72.Conversations
* ''„alles aus allem entwickeln“. Gespräch mit Reinhard Oehlschlägel über „passage/paysage“'', in ''MusikTexte'' 39, April 1991, 23–32. * ''Geschichte der Musik als Gegenwart: Hans Heinrich Eggebrecht und Mathias Spahlinger im Gespräch.'', Musik-Konzepte Sonderband, hrsg. von Heinz-Klaus Metzger und Rainer Riehn, München: edition text + kritik, 2000. . * ''„Ich sehe im Free Jazz ... die fortgeschrittenste Entwicklung.“ Gespräch mit Wolfgang Stryi'', in ''MusikTexte'' 86/87, November 2000, 62–65. * ''Maßstäbe außer Kraft setzen. Gespräch mit Reinhard Oehlschlägel'', in ''MusikTexte'' 95, November 2002, 73–79. * ''Von der schlechten Unendlichkeit. Gespräch mit Mark Barden, Johannes Kreidler und Martin Schüttler über „gegen unendlich“'', in ''MusikTexte'' 137, May 2013, 19–25.Secondary literature
Chronological * Claus Henning Bachmann: ''Ins Offene. Der Impuls zur Freiheit bei Mathias Spahlinger'', in ''MusikTexte'' 39, April 1991, 22. * Jean-Noel von der Weid: ''Die Musik des 20. Jahrhunderts''. Frankfurt & Leipzig 2001, 408f. * Werner Klüppelholz: ''Obduktion der Ordnung. Zu Mathias Spahlingers „extension“'', in ''MusikTexte'' 95, November 2002, 69–72. * Rainer Nonnenmann: ''Bestimmte Negation. Anspruch und Wirklichkeit einer umstrittenen Strategie anhand von Spahlingers „furioso“'', in ''MusikTexte'' 95, November 2002, 57–69. * Reinhard Oehlschlägel: ''Radikalität und Widersprüchlichkeit. Variationen über Mathias Spahlinger '', in ''MusikTexte'' 95, November 2002, 33–35. * Dorothea Schüle: ''„... dann wird offenbar, daß alles auf Vereinbarung beruht“. Zur Idee der offenen Form in Mathias Spahlingers „verlorener weg“ (1999/2000)'', in MusikTexte 95, November 2002, 36–48. * Jakob Ullmann: ''... im vorgefühl der dämmerung. Zum Streichtrio „presentimientos“ von Mathias Spahlinger'', in ''MusikTexte'' 95, November 2002, 49–54. * Rainer Nonnenmann: ''Wider den Utopieverlust: Mathias Spahlingers „doppelt bejaht“ auf neuen Bahnen'', in ''MusikTexte'' 124, February 2010, 57–63. *References
External links
*